Designer Scot Meacham Wood joins us to discuss his new Spring 2021 collection of textiles for SMW Home.
Raymond Paul Schneider: When did you first start to develop this new Collection?
Scot Meacham Wood: My creative process is rarely a ‘straight-line.’ I have drawers and drawers of antique fabrics and scraps of ideas that can float around for years before they turn into something. Then, I partner with an artist in Atlanta who helps turn my ideas into the correct format. But, to answer your question – this Collection has been in development since early 2020.
Raymond: What was the overall timeline from conception to completion?
Scot: Our Collections run from 9 months to a year to complete. However, our current launch was about 14 months.
Rutherford Tartan on sateen (l); Mulcaster Tartan (r).
Raymond: What was your initial inspiration, and where did they come from?
Scot: So much of what SMW Home is is based on nostalgia and classic colorations. I also want our fabrics to tap into something emotional! For Spring 2021, the ‘catchwords ‘were “Pretty and Romantic.”
Raymond: Please describe your overall creative and design process.
Scot: We exist on an exclusive diet of trial and error! For a collection of 30 new patterns, there were at least another 20 or so that seemed like a good idea but didn’t turn into anything. One of the best days of creating our collection is when the strike-offs begin to arrive from the mill. Seeing something that’s only been a sketch or sometimes artwork on a computer graphic is terribly exciting.
Louisford Tartan on Sateen (l); Donovan Hunting Tartan on Sateen (r).
Raymond: Did you have a specific audience or theme that you had in mind?
Scot: I usually never think of specific designers (though I believe sometimes ‘so-and-so will LOVE this!’), but I like to imagine where they might be used. For example, is this a textile for an East Hampton Dining Room drapery treatment? Is it going to be SUPER CUTE in a kid’s bedroom? And then I get especially delighted when designers use my textiles in ways I never imagined!
Raymond: Please describe the methods, tools, and materials you use to develop and prototype this design.
Scot: Because my artists are not local to me (or me to them!), we spend an enormous amount of time on the phone. I am describing the gesture of a leaf in a Floral. Defining what ‘red’ means. And this year, is it ‘pretty and romantic?’
Brogue Floral in Navy (l); Daphne Trellis in Porelain (r).
Raymond: Please describe and challenges that affected the design and perhaps steered you into a different final design.
Scot: Well, not to state the obvious, but COVID certainly gunked up the process endlessly. The mill would close suddenly for weeks. There were hold-ups with getting in-ground goods to print on. And hilariously, I moved my business from San Francisco to Manhattan while we were working on this collection! There was an excellent side to the move, though – since we had to shut down most of our design projects, I had tons of free time to work on developing the new artwork! Artwork that might sit in my inbox in the ‘before time’ was suddenly getting approved in 2 minutes!
Raymond: Describe your overall brand DNA and Ethos.
Scot: Classic Highland Tartan (from a mill dating back to the early 1700s), classic romantic florals that feel modern and relevant, and exciting color combinations keep everything fresh and current! And masses of tulips in our house at all times!
Click here to see more of our “Anatomy of a Design” series and SMW Home.
Like what you see? Get it first with a subscription to ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME Magazine.